The IRL "Rules" for flying a P-38:
Combat Tactics in the SouthWest Pacific Area by Maj. Tom McGuire Ironically he died in his quest to be #1 because he broke his own Rules:
Never engage in combat at less than 250 mph, preferrably never less than 300mph.
Never engage in combat with drop tanks on.
This quote is remarkable in comparison to this thread:
"The only Japanese fighter which can be outmaneuvered by a P-38 is the twin engine Nick. When pursuing or pursued you must keep to the shallow dive, climb, or turn because there is not a trick maneuver in the book that can't be done better in a Japanese plane than in a P-38. In making passes, hold your lead in deflection as long as you can, but just as soon as you lose that lead, roll out of the turn and keep going straight. Never pull up beyond 30 degrees when pursuing, because your loss of speed will permit the Japanese pilot to loop over onto your tail. Break combat when it is to your advantage to do so, don't wait until you set yourself up in such a position that the Japanese pilot will have the advantage. Make him fight on your terms, don't fight on his."
"Speed is important! Since you cannot out-maneuver the Japanese fighters it should be obvious that to have any success in combat against them, speed is essential. If at all possible, keep your speed in combat at three hundred miles plus. Never slow down below 250 miles per hour once in a flight. There have been pilots who slowed down in combat, but they are no longer capable of telling you how dangerous it is to do so."
The Nick he mentions is not the NIKI-J in AHII, it was the twin engine Kawasaki KI45 Toryu.
Back to AHII:
In the above arguments about the Spit V vs the P-38:
Put Levi in his Spit V against ANY P-38 flyer in AHII in anything close to a co-E situation, my money is on Levi.
